Around the Region

East Georgia Arts Trail

...from the coast to the heartland, from shrimp to grits...
The East Georgia Arts Trail was created as a way to connect the wealth of Arts tourism options that are available to East Georgia visitors and residents alike. Visit www.artstrail.net to download trail listings, available in both PDF and word file formats, and plan a daytrip to explore what our region has to offer.

Dublin

The Emerald CityWelcome to Dublin and Laurens County, where small town southern charm and a determination to keep Dublin-Laurens County "Green and Growing" have combined to create a community rich in character and full of life. The City of Dublin was incorporated by the Georgia Assembly on December 9th, 1812, and made the county seat. It is said that a citizen, Jonathan Sawyer, named it Dublin after the capital of his Irish homeland. Centrally located in Middle Georgia, Dublin, chosen as a "City of Excellence" by Georgia Trend Magazine in January 2000, is strategically situated at the junction of Interstate 16 and U.S. Highway 441 and 319.
Must See: The Dublin-Laurens St. Patrick's Festival
For more information on Dublin please contact (478) 277-5091 or CLICK HERE

Stillmore

Located in southeastern Emanuel, County, Stillmore is a small town with about 800 people. However, a few years after it was incorporated in 1889, it was referred to as the "Railroad Hub of this Area" and "The Queen City of Emanuel County." Stillmore was a booming town with three major railroads and many businesses. Passenger and freight trains arrived and departed continuously with visitors who frequently traveled to Stillmore to do their shopping or to be entertained. Presently, Stillmore can still boast about having the largest private school in the county (David Emanuel Academy) and the biggest industry (Crider Incorporated). This quaint little village with its rich history is a wonderful place to visit at any time of year. However, the largest crowd arrives on the first Sunday in December each year when Stillmore hosts the longest running Christmas Parade in the County.
Must See: Stillmore Museum (open every Wednesday 10am-12pm or by request) and Art in the Woods (an outdoor Art Exhibit held every March)
For more information on Stillmore please contact (478) 237-3881 or CLICK HERE

Vidalia

The Sweet Onion CityVidalia is a city in Toombs and very slightly into Montgomery counties. Vidalia is said to be the named for the daughter of the railroad man who passed through the area on his route. Like so many towns in the region, it grew up around a train depot that serviced farmers in the area who grew such crops as pecans and tobacco. The famous sweet onions were not an important crop until much later. The Vidalia onion was first produced about 1931 when a farmer's crop contained some particularly sweet onions. Other farmers started producing the same onion, and in the 1940s the Vidalia onion became an item sold to tourists. In 1990, the Vidalia Onion was named as the "official vegetable" of the state of Georgia.
Must See: Vidalia Onion Festival
For more information on Vidalia please contact (912) 537-7661 or CLICK HERE

Twin City

Twice as Friendly, Twice as NiceTwin City is a city in Emanuel County. Twin City got its name from the combining of two adjacent cities: Graymont and Summit. Among the city's claims to fame is that it is home to Emanuel County Institute. Emanuel County Institute consists of two schools, a middle school and a high school. It serves the communities of Twin City, Canoochee, Garfield, and Stillmore. ECI has a football team that is known throughout the state and has played State Championships several years in a row. The school was was founded in 1903 through a joint effort by the citizens of Summit and Graymont. Contributions were collected, and a school bond was financed by eight private investors. This was the first school bond ever used to finance construction of a public school in Georgia. Progressive financing continued to be initiated by ECI as the first state funds for agriculture and home economics were used here in 1915.
Must See: George L. Smith State Park
For more information on Twin City please contact (478) 763-2695 or CLICK HERE

Louisville

Louisville is a town in Jefferson County, Georgia, United States. This town is the county seat of Jefferson County. It is located southwest of Augusta on the Ogeechee River. Louisville was laid out in 1786 as a prospective state capital of Georgia. Construction began later, and its state buildings were completed in 1795. The town of Louisville served as the state capital of Georgia from 1796 to 1806. As a small town and county seat, there are many significant business and industries in Louisville now, including the county government. Queensborough National Bank and Trust Company, formerly First National Bank and Trust Company, was founded in 1902 and is currently headquartered in Louisville on U.S. Highway 1.
Must See: The Firehouse Gallery
For more information on Louisville please contact (478) 625-0387 or CLICK HERE

Adrian

The Adrian is a charming community located on the crossroads of U.S. Route 80 and Highway 15. The City is located on the border of both Emanuel and Johnson counties. While the city has a variety of unique hometown restaurants and shopping opportunities, it is maybe best known for being home to Adrian School of Performing Arts. As an old railroad town, Adrian has a unique history and located equidistance between Swainsboro, Dublin, Wrightsville, and Soperton.
Must See: Fall Festival and Jacques Futrelle's Memorial (Titanic Passenger)
For more information on Adrian please contact (478) 668-3376 or CLICK HERE

Lyons

Lyons, the county seat of Toombs County, was incorporated December 9, 1897. The town, referred to as "The Tobacco Center", was named in honor of a promoter of the Seaboard Railroad that ran through the town's limits. The town of Lyons, only five miles from Vidalia, is approximately 15 miles south of Interstate 16. In the U.S. Post Office on North State Street is a New Deal relief, "Wild Duck and Deer" (1942), by the Italian artist Albino Manca. Lyons also participates in the Better Hometown Program run by the Department of Community Affairs and is emerging as a hub for the arts with monthly shows curated by Gallery RFD in Swainsboro at Elements in Downtown Lyons.
Must See: Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park
For more information on Lyons please contact (912) 526-3626 or CLICK HERE

Wadley

Wadley is located in Jefferson county and boast a variety of stores and restaurants in its historic Downtown region. Wadley was originally known as "Shakerag". The name was changed to Wadley in the 1870s in honor of the president of the Central of Georgia Railway. The name change coincided with the designation of Wadley as an official stop on the railroad.
For more information on Wadley please contact (478) 252-1116 or CLICK HERE

Metter

Everything's Better in MetterCandler County was created on July 14, 1914 as 251 square miles were taken from Bulloch, Emanuel and Tattnall Counties. The County Seat of Candler County is Metter, Georgia, located on Interstate 16, approximately 65 miles northwest of Savannah.Visitors appreciate the small town feel, noting the community pride exuded by locals and hospitality extended to guest. Both Metter and the entire county offer a welcome and friendliness that simply cannot be duplicated in a big-city atmosphere. Residents blend traditional ideas of Southern hospitality, work ethic, family focus and a sense of community with modern technology and education, making the area not only a superb place to live and raise a family, but also perfect for building a business and advancing a career.
Must See: The Guido Gardens- Home of "Seeds from the Sower".
For more information on Metter please contact (912) 685-2527 or CLICK HERE

Wrightsville

Wrightsville, the county seat of Johnson County, was incorporated February 23, 1866. Wrightsville is located on Highway 15 and offers a unique journey of history and shopping opportunities. The city was named for James B. Wright, a member of the committee that selected the site for the town. The Johnson County courthouse, in Wrightsville, was built in 1895 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built of masonry in the Romanesque Revival/Colonial Revival style. The courthouse was later rebuilt by the Works Progress Administration in 1940.
Must See: Kite Founder's Day Festival
For more information on Wrightsville please contact (478) 864-3303 or CLICK HERE

Statesboro

Where the living remains softly southernStatesboro was incorporated on December 19, 1803, with a population of less than 25 people. The City of Statesboro is the county seat of Bulloch County , Georgia , located in the southeastern corner of the state. Major private sector employers in the area include: Briggs & Stratton, Wal-Mart Associates, Inc., and East Georgia Regional Medical Center . There are two institutions of higher learning in the greater Statesboro area: Georgia Southern University located within the city limits of the City of Statesboro , and Ogeechee Technical College located just outside the city on Highway 301 South. There are 16 public schools and 3 private and parochial schools in Bulloch County that educate the area's 9,826 students.
Must See: Averitt Center for the Arts
For more information on Statesboro please contact (912) 764-5468 or CLICK HERE

Soperton

Million Pines City
Soperton, incorporated as a town December 17, 1902, is the county seat and the only incorporated town in Treutlen County. The town is named for Benjamin Franklin Soper, a construction engineer with the Macon, Dublin and Savannah Railroad. Soperton is known as the "Million Pines City" because of James Fowler. Mr. Fowler planted over 7,000,000 pine seedlings on 10,000 acres of the county. Pine by-products are now an important part of the local economy. Located on Highway 15, Soperton is a richly diverse City with a variety of shopping and dining options.
For more information on Soperton please contact (912) 529-6173 or CLICK HERE

Millen

Millen, incorporated September 30, 1881, is the county seat for Jenkins County. The only incorporated municipality within Jenkins County, Millen was originally named Seven-Nine or Old 79 because of its close proximity to Savannah. The county courthouse in Millen was constructed in 1910 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Must See: Magnolia Springs State Park
For more information on Millen please contact (478) 982-6100 or CLICK HERE

Portal

Catface County
Portal is a rural community in Bulloch County located on historic U.S. Route 80. The community is rich in history and draws visitors from across the state each year for its Turpentine Festival. The town's motto "Catface County" comes from the method turpentiners used to extract the sap from the region's Pines. The community boasts state of the art Elementary, Middle and High schools and a historic Downtown region and a very active Heritage Society.
Must See: Turpentine Festival
For more information on Portal please contact (912) 865-2566 or CLICK HEREThis website was created and funded by the Georgia Rural Economic Development Center, The City of Swainsboro and Swainsboro Downtown Development Authority.